Inboard-outboard motorboat drive



FeB. 7, 1939.

'H. P. CAROLAND 2,146,623 INBOARD-DUTBOARD MOTORBOAT DRIVEv Filed May 8,1935 Z She etS-Sheet 1 Herman P-Caro/a nd YINVENTOR.

H. P. CAROLAND INBOARD-OUTBOARD MOTORBOAT DRIVE Feb. 7, 1939.

Filed May 8; 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Herman P. Caro'lanal' INVENTOR.

Q/pM/ZLMJW.

V ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The invention appertains to marine propulsion for pleasure craft andsmall boats and provides for ready attachment and removal of thepropeller and associated drive and adjustment of the propeller fromWithin through 360 degrees for steering.

The invention furthermore aims to devise an arrangement whereby thepropeller is driven from a power unit on the boat at any stage ofadjustment or direction of movement.

The invention also admits of steering from any convenient point on theboat in any direction of travel through a circle of 360 degrees.

The invention further aims to devise a simple, practical and effectiveconstruction which admits of the propeller and drive being easily andquickly placed in position and removed as required, the powertransmitting shafts coupling and uncoupling without requiring specialeffort or inter- -=fering with the operation.

While the drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention,it is to be understood that in adapting the same to meet specific needsand requirements, the design may be varied and changes in the minordetails of construction may be resorted to within the scope of theinvention as claimed, without departing from the spirit thereof.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof,reference is to be had to the following description and the drawingshereto attached, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of the upper portion of the drive, the lowerparts being broken away.

Figure 2 is a detail view of the upper part of the bracket to which thedrive is attached, showing the drive and steeringshafts mounted therein.

Figure 3 is a detail section on the line 33 of Figure 6.

Figure 4 is a sectional detail on the line 4-4 of Figure 9. I

Figure 5 is a sectional detail on the line 5-5 of Figure 6.

Figure 6 is a side view of the drive showing the propeller in reverseposition.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the direction indicating means.

Figure 8 is a sectional detail on the line 8-8 of Figure 6.

v Figure 9 is a side view of a drive mechanism illustrative of anembodiment of the invention, the full lines indicating the operativeposition and the dotted lines illustrating the drive swung to uncouplethe power transmitting shafts to obviate injury when contacting anobstruction.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and designated in the several views of the drawings by likereference characters.

The mechanism embodies a bracket I8 which is secured to a boat 3! bybolts I9 or in any preferred manner. Collars 2!) and project fromopposite sides of the bracket and provide housings for a gear 2| andbearings 35. The power shaft 38 from the inboard motor (not shown) ismounted in the bearings 35 and has a gear 2! fast thereto. A shaft 32provided with an internal gear II to mesh with the gear 2i is mounted inthe upper member 34 of a frame connected to the bracket l8. Lugs I! andan extension |8a project rearwardly from the bracket 8.

The frame comprises an upper member 34 and a lower member l4 boltedthereto. Bearings 3! in the member 34 receive the shaft 32 which isprovided with a bevel gear 33a which is in mesh with a bevel gear 33fast to the upper end of a vertical shaft l6 mounted in the lower memberI4 of the frame. A cover plate 38 closes an opening in the top of thepart 34 through which access is readily had to the upper part 34 of theframe. Lugs ID are pivoted to the lugs IT by a pintle 17a.

A tubular shaft I5 is mounted in the member I4 and has a worm ring gear42 fast to its upper end. A worm shaft 43 in mesh with the worm gear 42is mounted in the frame 34 (see Figure 8) and has an angular end portion[2 to engage a socket 23 of a shaft 23a mounted in the bracket IS. Aspur gear 22 is fast to the shaft 23a and is adapted to receive asprocket chain (not shown) to admit of rotating the shaft for steering.It will be understood that the drive gears and steering gears are housedin the frame 34. An outer flange 21 at the lower end of the shaft i5engages the lower end of the frame [4 and has a guard 24 bolted thereto.An upstanding flange 25 carried by the element 27 of the shaft I 5coacts with a companion flange 25 of the bracket I8 to sustain thestress when the boat is reversed as shown in Figures 5 and 6. Theseflanges 25 and 26 extend approximately 90 degrees to maintain a maximumengagement.

The guard 24 is narrow and elongated from front to rear and its sidesconverge forwardly and rearwardly and intersect, as shown'most clearlyin Figure 3, to minimize resistance to its passage through the water.The shaft I6 is mounted in the guard and has a bevel gear a fast to itslower end which is in mesh with a companion bevel gear 45 fast to thepropeller shaft 56 which is mounted longitudinally in the lower portionof the guard 23. A tapering member 52 depends from the part 24 andcoacts therewith to protect the propeller 5| secured to the projectingend of the shaft 50. The guard 24 is recessed to receive the gears andMa and this recess is closed by the guard member 52.

The parts 34, I4 and 24 constitute a frame which is pivoted at its upperend to the bracket l8 and is held in position by a break pin 39 engaginglugs 38 and 40a of the bracket I8 and frame member it. When the drive isin reverse, as indicated in Figure 6, the upstanding arcuate flange 25is positioned forwardly of the depending arcuate flange 26 to sustainthe pulling strain. The pin 39 shears or breaks when the lower portionof the drive encounters an obstruction, thereby preventing injury to thepropeller. A stabilizing plane 29 is carried by the frame and controlsthe vertical movements of the drive and the stern of the boat.

Indicating means are provided to designate the direction of travel whenthe power is applied to drive the boat. In Figure 7, two signals, suchas electric lights 56 and 62, are shown and included in electriccircuits and 6! grounded at 58 and 59 and having switches 54 and 6G,respectively. The current is supplied by a battery 5'! or other source.A tappet il operable with the steering mechanism, being carried by theworm gear 42, is adapted to actuate the switches 54 and 6E] and closethe respective circuits to indicate in which direction the boat willtravel when the power is applied.

The shafts 32 and end portion [2 of the worm shaft automatically coupleand uncouple from the respective shafts 38 and 23a accordingly as theframe 34 swings forwardly or rearwardly. The steering may be effectedfrom any convenient point of the boat by connecting the control to theshaft 23a, as by means of the spur gear 22 and a cooperating sprocketchain.

It will be noted that this construction obviates stuffing box and glandsalong a shaft extending from the engine interior the boat to thepropeller below the water line, besides admitting of the propeller beingturned through 360 degrees to any desired point. Furthermore, theconstruction is simple and admits of ready assembling and economicalmanufacture of the parts.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

A propulsion unit for a marine vehicle comprising an upright bracketplate adapted to be fixed to said vehicle and having an outwardly turnedlower end portion, a pair of parallel shafts journaled in the upperportion of the bracket plate, a housing pivoted to the upper end portionof the bracket plate for outward swinging movement relative thereto, anupright sleeve having the upper end thereof fixed directly to saidhousing, an upright propeller-carrying portion journaled in said sleevefor steering with the upper end of said portion projecting into thehousing, a worm gear fixed on said projecting upper end in the housing,an upwardly extending propeller driving shaft in said portion projectinginto the housing, a pair of parallel shafts journaled in the housing oneof which is geared to the propeller driving shaft and the other carriesa worm meshing with the worm gear, clutches for connecting therespective shafts of the pairs and arranged relative to the pivot forautomatic engagement when the housing is in normal position and fordisengagement upon swinging of said housing out of said normal position,overlapped lugs carried respectively by the upright sleeve and by theoutwardly turned portion of the bracket plate, and a shear pin extendingthrough said lugs and adapted to be sheared off upon striking anobstruction for upward swinging motion of the propeller carryingportion.

HERMAN P. CAROLAND.

